Fifty yards away at the Pix-Pall Hardwarestore, talk was of fuse boxes and the recession.
"Everyone in this industry is looking forwork," said Kenneth E. Atkins, 51, an electricalengineer with Polaroid. "I don't see any plans tofix these economic problems."
Some voters are so frustrated that they areconsidering not voting. Glen Orso, a 33-year-oldSalem Democrat said he didn't vote in 1988, and hewas thinking about skipping the election again.
"It's not because I think there's a bunch ofgood candidates," Orso said. "It's because there'sa bunch of candidates that are unknown."
Other voters believe that the choice was fareasier last time around.
"In '88, I think the candidates from thebeginning were very pronounced." said Chuck Crow,33, a supervisor for a Manchester truckingcompany. "I think it was clear-out race from thevery beginning."
Like some New Hampshire residents, Crowe was aClinton supporter until allegations ofextramarital affairs and draft dodging appeared inthe press. Now Crowe, who spent Sunday afternoonwatching Tsongas speak in Nashua, is shopping allthe candidates.
"I was leaning toward Clinton," said Crow, aformer army captain who served three years inGermany. "I'm wondering how electable heis--whether he had an affair and whether hepersonally dodged the draft during the VietnamWar."
But other voters say they are doing more thanjust reconsidering the major candidates.
Robert H. Montgomery, a semiretired BostonUniversity professor, dissatisfied with "the fivedwarves running around, all of them campaigningfor the vice presidency," is casting his vote forLenora B. Fulani, a psychologist from New York.
And Marsha A. Passoja, 41, who joined hermother at the savings and loan conference inManchester, said she is so upset with the majorcandidates the she may cast a write-in vote forconsumer advocate Ralph Nadar.
"I haven't been excited about politics in longtime," said Passoja, who rarely votes. "For RalphNader, it's getting citizens to takeresponsibility for the country they live in--[so]that they can have a say."
And a few voters have decieded that theelection itself is irrelevant.
"Winning doesn't mean anything," saidNottingham resident Robert Giffin, 54, from hisaisle seat at the Manchester conference, "becausenothing will changes.